The UNSETTLING Podcast

A thing of beauty can be a joy forever only if it can be seen and loved by the audience.  

Episode 15 is a conversation with Tanya Khanna about her venture Epistle Communications. In the episode, we talk about the value of communication and marketing and how it helps the creator find the right kind of clients. In this world of information overload, it is difficult to find your target audience, but if you are true to your values and beliefs as a brand, the right audience will find you. Tanya also believes that if one is content with where they are and what they are doing in the present moment, then they will always attract the things that take them in the right direction.  

To bring the designers and the clients close and to help bridge the gap between design, practice, and business, our next guest, Tanya Khanna, came up with a platform called Epistle Communications. Epistle provides editorial, strategic communications, marketing, and PR services within the domains of art, architecture, design, and allied disciplines. 

Tanya started her journey as an architectural journalist in 2004. After working and studying in the UK, she returned to India and founded Epistle with the goal of formalizing design communications and making South Asian architecture and design more accessible to global audiences. Tanya has co-authored and edited over a dozen architectural books and monographs and has written extensively for Indian and international media. She's a GRIHA certified Evaluator with a strong commitment to sustainable design expertise, and she's served on a number of academic and professional design juries and events, including the Dezeen Awards 2021 as a juror.  

You can connect with her on:   

Website: https://www.epistle.co/

Success means different things to different people. But there are a few guidelines that one can follow to achieve one's goals

Link to the book: Amazon link: UNFOLDING SUCCESS

Episode 13 is a conversation with Mr. Sapan Bardhan about his book unfolding success. He has interviewed over 300 people from different cross-sections of society and used the knowledge that he had accumulated over the years to bring this book to life. The conversation revolves around the broader ideals of success that one can follow to achieve their goal.

About the Author:

The author, Sapan Bardhan is a veteran professional with a degree in Engineering and more than 45 years of enriched experience in various industries. He has professional qualifications in Total Quality Management with training in the USA and Japan. The first phase of his professional career was in SAIL - Bhilai Steel Plant, later he moved to a large-scale Pvt. Steel Industry. But after working for about eight years, he left while working as VP (TQM & HRD) and started his own training & consulting independently along with association with UL DQS (India) Ltd … a training & third party certification organization, for ten years. He has conducted hundreds of training/workshops on Quality & HR-related topics, suiting to customer requirements, across the country. He is also associated with Social & Spiritual organizations like Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Mahavir International, and Brahma Kumaris.

About the Book:

Living an inclusive life is all that everyone is asking for.  I am no one to talk about disability and the day-to-day struggle that disabled people have to face. So I asked Sweta Mantri to share her journey on the podcast.

Episode 14 is a conversation with Sweta Mantri who is a standup comic. In this episode, she shares how normal things like basic accessibility to various establishments are a challenge for someone who is disabled. We also converse about the psychological and physical trauma that a person has to go through and how difficult it is to find that silver lining that everyone talks about when everything seems to be going south.

Sweta Mantri was asked to be an accountant but instead, she decided to hold people accountable for their lack of knowledge on disability access and have a dialogue with them. She is a standup comedian and believes in revolutionizing the comedy scene and changing the mindset of the people one joke at a time! Though there have been times when people have not received the jokes well, that has not stopped her from putting the point across. She believes that the more disability is treated as a taboo topic, the more people will be uncomfortable discussing it. And it  is important to change the thought process of the people and to make them a little more mindful about creating a barrier-free life for all

You can listen to her thoughts on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imadmantrii/

Episode 12 is a conversation with Akanksha Savanal, who is the founder of A Curve Story. In this episode, we talk about her journey from becoming a stylist to the founder of her own firm. She had a vision of making fashion accessible, inclusive, and intersectional and that is when A Curve Story was born. She also talks in-depth about the research she had done to make sure that all the problems of the people were heard and she took steps to solve them.   

Akanksha started her styling journey when she was just 18 years old. She has worked with numerous celebrities like Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, and Ayushmann Khurana and has created a niche for herself. While working as a stylist she noticed that there was a gap in the fashion options available for curvy women. She decided to bridge this gap with her startup A Curve Story. A Curve Story promotes fashion that is accessible, inclusive, and intersectional. It provides fluid fashion options not only for women with curves but also for the LGBTQIA community. Akanksha believes that clothes are meant to fit people and not the other way round. 

 Looking for fashion options? Connect with her on:  

Website: https://www.acurvestory.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akankshasavanal/ 

https://www.instagram.com/acurvestory/

Episode 11 is a conversation with Aniruddh Roy who started his acting career as a theatre actor. When the lockdown hit and all the theatre productions came to a standstill, he decided to do something with all his free time. He went online on all the platforms that had posted ads for actor requirements and auditioned for them. He then realized that the best way out is to compile all the 12 films that they had produced as a team under his banner Greennote films and apply to film festivals, which he did.  The films were well received by the audience and picked up and featured on various OTT platforms  

Since then, he has been offered roles in movies like 777 Charlie. He has worked in Ad films in Hindi and Bengali and he has also worked with Alt Balaji on their latest series Crimes and Confessions and he will also be seen on Mauka-e-Vardaat. He was a complete movie buff as a child and he draws inspiration from all the actors he looks up to and also from the people he meets in his day-to-day life. He is a kind soul who goes out of the way to help people in need.  

If you want to know more about acting connect with him on: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aniruddh304/ 

You can watch his ad on:  Shell Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9MPceAprg0 

Ola Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-zJC24vaKg 

Talking points:  

1. His journey so far  

2. Is formal training necessary?  

3. How to get noticed by filmmakers and directors?  

4. Does external beauty play an important role or does talent take a fore?  

5. How to stand out from the competition?  

6. His favorite role?  

7. How does he get into the skin of a character?  

8. Message for anyone who wishes to be an actor.

Episode 10 is a conversation with Amanpreet Singh who is the founder of F13 technologies. In this episode, we talk about the importance of data analysis and how it helps find solutions for a lot of problems in the digital world. He gives an insight into his company's work and at the same time explains how he helps startups find the right direction. Every piece of information you have about your target audience can help you determine whether they are your target audience and, if so, how to present your concept to them.

Amanpreet Singh is the founder of F13 Technologies. F13 Technologies specializes in networking and security, as well as education, healthcare, and the enterprise sector. Amanpreet believes that- “If you want people to listen to you, talk to them in their language”. Keeping this ideology in mind, he helps companies find solutions to their problems in the simplest way possible. He and his team offer technological solutions and empower businesses to provide a seamless user experience. When he is not working, Amanpreet spends his time cooking and learning new recipes.    

Links: 

Website: www.f13.tech 

LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/in/aps4995/ 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/f13tech

Shuffle with Akanksha  

Alternate Career option: Graphic Designer | Jewellery Designer | Dancer | Instagram Influencer  

Dance has been an integral part of our life. We learn to bob our heads to the beat even before we learn how to walk.  

Episode 9 is a conversation with Akanksha Aggarwal, a graphic designer turned jewellery designer turned professional shuffle dancer, who has become the talk of the town with her shuffling moves. She is also a recipient of the Women on Top Award 2021. The conversation is all about her journey of becoming a shuffle dancer and what choices helped her become who she is today. We spoke at length about the Instagram algorithm and how playing by the rules of the app will help you reach the right kind of audience. She also spoke about jewellery design and her design inspiration for the various jewellery pieces that are available on the website of Jewellery Rack. She started learning shuffling in lockdown to keep herself occupied. Little did she know that her account would blow up and people would enjoy her videos. 

She learnt all her moves from watching tiktok and YouTube videos and is a self-trained dancer. On the demand of her tribe, she has now started a workshop series for anyone who wishes to learn this dance form!  Akanksha believes that being content with what you have is the secret to be happy........ummmm and also planning, loads and loads of planning. That is how she manages to be the multitasker that she is!!  

You can shuffle with her on:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shufflewithakanksha/

Episode 9 is a conversation with Nishkarsh Sharma who is the founder of the online platform Digital Dukaandaar. In this episode, we talk about dropshipping, how one can setup up an online business and earn money selling online. Nishkarsh gives in-depth knowledge about the time and money required to set up such a business and the problems that a beginner might face while starting out in the field. All in all this conversation will give you the necessary tools to earn independently from the comfort of your home, all you have to do is to sign up to become a DIgital Dukaandaar! 

Nishkarsh is the founder of the platform Digital Dukaandaar an e-commerce education program that helps people start and grow their online businesses. But his journey has not been smooth sailing. He started out as an Engineer but very soon realized that coding or programming was not his cup of tea. So to build his network and to gain experience he started interning with companies like OLX, Channel V, LetsIntern, WeChat, Viber, and Star sports. He then started blogging to create a digital footprint for himself. He wrote a book, "Career Success blueprint" that earned him his first paycheck. Determined to create a niche and earn from the online space, he tried his hand at providing content and SEO solutions, create animation videos on Fiverr, and finally finding his calling of setting a Print on Demand business that is running successfully worldwide. Through his platform Digital Dukaandaar, he imparts the wisdom that he gained through his experience to people who are new in this business and helps them grow to become successful Digital Dukaandaars.  

Talking points: 

1. His journey so far 

2. What is dropshipping? 

3. How can one set up a website and monetize by selling online? 

4. The man-hours and investment are necessary to get started. 

5. How to build trust with your consumers as a seller? 

6. Methods of marketing and driving traffic to your website. 

7. In-depth knowledge of the goings-on of an e-commerce platform   

You can connect with him on:  

Website: https://nishkarshsharma.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nishkarshsharmaa/

What do you do when you have a number of passions? Do you follow them all or choose the one that gives you the most happiness?

Episode 07 is a conversation with Mr. Rajeev Ravindranathan who followed multiple passions and finally settled on the two things that he loves doing most.  Running an advertising agency and acting. It was not an easy thing to finally focus on one aspect and put the rest of his interests on the backburner. But the time that we have is limited and there is just so much that we can do as humans. 

This episode gives an insight into his life and his experiences and teaches us a valuable lesson, that luck comes to those who work hard for it. It is not a floating concept but rather a concrete reality for those who step up and take charge of their lives.

Rajeev Ravindranathan, is an actor, advertising agency owner, advertising professional, screenwriter, writer, director, producer, he brews his own beer, is a barbecue chef, and also makes organic deodorants at home.

You all must remember him from the movie 3 Idiots in which he portrayed a bully senior and English Vinglish, in which he played an adorable Tamilian trying to learn English.

He runs his own advertising agency called “People” which has celebrated its 11th anniversary recently.

Talking Points:

· How to prioritize when you have a diverse skillset

· People (his ad agency)- the journey so far

· Ad campaigns that he has handled

· Creative discontentment-how did he manage to get through it

· Anecdotes from your experiences

· Acting career

· Favourite role so far

· A day in his life

· Lessons learned from his experience 

In a world where everything is going so fast, it is important to make a first impression. And the first thing that people notice about you is the clothes that you wear. Hence the expression dress for the job you want not the job you have.

Episode 6 is a conversation with Shreeja Rajgopal. We talk about her journey so far, how she landed her first gig and what are the things that go behind the scenes in a stylist's studio. She has styled a lot of celebrities such as Mithila Palkar, Vijay Devarakonda, Radhika Apte, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Mallika Dua, Sayani Gupta, Chitrangada, and many more.  She has also set a bar for elegant, bold yet relatable styling that many of us look up to. To know more about her, let me welcome today’s guest Shreeja Rajgopal

Shreeja Rajgopal is a stylist who has been working in the industry for the past 9 years. She believes that this work is not for the faint hearted and anyone who wants to step in has to be well prepared about what are the things that goes behind the scenes of the glamour that we see on screen. The best way to learn styling according to her would be to intern under someone and keep oneself updated about the goings on in the fashion world. She has helped bring out the personality of all the people that she has worked with.

Talking points:

1. Her journey

2. Skills a stylist must have

3. Things to keep in mind before styling anyone

4. Styling vs Design

5. Different body types and styling

6. Her personal favourite style

7.  Message for anyone who wants to be a stylist